“European Citizenship and Multiculturalism” - ECAM - is a partnership project, between 4 upper secondary schools, having the aim of promoting the area of peace represented by The European Union, of spreading the European spirit through democratic values it usually embodies, of spreading tolerance and cultural integration particularly. For some time now, coping with turbulent current developments, while the governance of the European Union is being questioned, its present stability notably rests on one of its most solid foundations: the European Citizenship and the values it symbolizes. Yet this notion is neither experienced nor felt in the same way by the whole of its nationals. Saint-Joseph Vocational High School from Tahiti, Diekirch Classical Grammar School from Luxembourg, Saint-Charles High School of Saint-Pierre from La Reunion and “Karol Wojtyla” Istituto Professionale di Stato from Sicily, which are the 4 general and/or vocational education high schools and partners of this programme proposal, are no exceptions to the rule: indeed, as they represent the fringes and the centers of the EU, Tahiti, Reunion, Sicily and Luxembourg define and comprehend this notion of European Citizenship in a different way – vague and distant for nationals from the Indian and Pacific Oceans, closer for Sicily citizens, much more intense for Luxembourg ones, where it seems even obvious. Besides, all these European Citizens are the symbols of “United in diversity” motto, however everyone is the opposite extreme of each other from a cultural point of view: being mixed-race societies or societies facing mass migration flows, these island micro-territories are yet so many opportunities for analysis, ideas and solutions research about humanitarian, social and political crises. The final production of this project will be an epistolary novel that will be completely carried out in collaboration with all the 4 partner schools and that will stage the “foreigner’s eyes” technique - i.e. looking through the foreigner’s eyes, from his/her point of view. Travelers discovering unknown lands - the partner countries - and exchanging correspondence, will express their amazement, critics, questioning and calling into question, on the multiculturalism theme. The staging of this novel, in the form of a theatrical production that will also be filmed, will boost its transmission to a wider audience. Thus, educational tools will be created and provided to EU teachers in order to comprehend better the notion of European citizenship and integration through concrete, real examples, which will have been achieved by pupil and teacher teams. These tools, available and scattered for the greatest number, will be assessable, collaborative and constantly improving. Information and Communication Technologies (digital) and the use of collaborative tools will be one of our project’s bases. The goal of this educational tool is to meet the following expectations: to redefine the common definition of the European Citizenship and to develop a very strong European sense, to bring territories that are very different from each other together around this notion, to bring a fresh perspective to our European multicultural societies by questioning them in order to analyse the issues coming from these societies, to overstep prejudices and underline the historical and contemporary enrichment of this phenomenon that represents multiculturalism. The project claims to be resolutely open on a world and local scale. The activities will be designed so as to involve as many people as possible: students – both stakes and actors in the project-, teachers, staff and students’ parents from each of the 4 partner schools and beyond any political, institutional, judicial, academic fields, experts, State’s public services, various institutions… The key activity, i.e. the achievement of the epistolary novel, will be used as means and as a connecting thread for the study of the programme’s themes: European Citizenship and multiculturalism. In order to achieve a high-quality final production, several activities will be led: research workshops, writing workshops; writing of research reports and of the novel’s letters; authors-writers-cultural associations meeting workshops; visiting historical, cult, power sites, and museums; roleplay, staging, public speaking workshops; etc. Every activity aims to build the students’ knowledge and to develop their skills in various fields. Learning will be focused around the student within the framework of socio-constructivism. This project targets positive and lasting effects, on the students certainly, but also on the teachers, the schools and any other participant partners. After the project, the promotion of all the activities and results will continue on Web links managed by the schools, for instance by ensuring free access to them, for consulting and using. »
European Citizenship and Multiculturalism (ECAM) is an Erasmus+ project involving strategic partnerships henceforth known as school exchanges. This project gathers four partners : St-Joseph Pirae Tahiti vocational school (coordinator), St-Charles La Reunion High School, Classic Diekirch Luxembourg High School and IPSSEOA Karol Wojtila Sicily-Italy vocational school. Duration : 22 months, from September 2017 to June 2019. ECAM has a dual purpose: promoting the European peace space by studying European Union moral values and defending its citizens’ cultural identities. This dual challenge aims to show that all these notions are far from being competing against each other but are complement one another. In other words, the goal would consist in clarifying and defending the EU motto: « United in diversity ». In order to achieve this double purpose, the teaching staffs assign the students activities which allow the discovering and learning about European citizenship and which also ask students to consider the characteristic elements that shape cultural identities. Among activities relating to generally speaking citizenship and particularly European citizenship, one can find examples as follows: studying legal texts and European values - dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity, justice and democracy; guided tours of European and regional institutions; meeting in Schengen; round tables and debates with Members of the European Parliament and of a National Parliament; participation in demonstrations or official events. Cultural identity affirmation activities include: language classes, visits to historical sites, cultural tours, cultural events. The main achievement of this project is an epistolary novel that recounts all its stages and, at the same time, encourages students to verbalise their impressions and learnings. The writing of this novel attests the development and the construction of the students’ thoughts about citizenship, identity and culture issues. This epistolary novel is also available in a video format as it is staged and filmed by the students. Besides, a play, “The extraordinarily peaceful life of Europe”, is imagined and written, performed and played by the project’s participants. The play, which appears to be more synthetic than the novel, also calls to mind and defends the high values of the EU, respectful of differences, opposed to nationalism and all forms of cultural identity isolationism. A set of pedagogical and didactic tools are thought through and conceived for the requirements of this project. Works, activities and tools are available on digital platforms designed for the project: websites, eTwinning. These platforms are used as communication tools as well as workspaces. All media channels were used to promote and broadcast the project: press, radio, TV, websites, social networks, posters. Several public and private partners provided support to the ECAM project such as financial sponsorship, material assistance and moral support. Thus, the Erasmus+ programme could get a broader promotion. Evaluations are conducted with stakeholders so that the impact and efficiency of the actions carried out in this project can be assessed. These assessments reveal a strong awareness of EU values in particular. During Transnational meetings and Learning Activities, 60 student and teacher mobilities make learning easier and allow all great productions to achieve. Mobilities give meaning to the project. Thanks to them, participants get the opportunity to understand current realities, issues and challenges of the EU: democracy principles, the question of migrants, national identities, tolerance… Students, as young people, are the main beneficiaries of the project. Nevertheless, teachers and schools get great benefits from ECAM as well. By going on training courses, teachers adopt new practices, use new tools, gain motivation. Thus, they boost their teaching technics. And consequently, even their school systems take advantage of these improvements. By combining and promoting EU values and cultural identities, by considering them as complementary and not competing, ECAM project helps to keep the Erasmus+ momentum and hence that of Europe, in its peripheral areas and the French overseas. In these peripheral and overseas countries, the European feeling stands ready to develop in the same shared understanding and mutual tolerance mindset.